Hire Smart and Save Big Bucks By Getting It Right the First Time

Onboarding a new employee is expensive. If they don’t work out after a few weeks, there is nothing you can do but start again. Don’t get caught in that scenario. Follow these techniques to hire smart and get it right the first time.

The Cost of a Hiring Mistake

First, understand the cost of a hiring mistake. CareerBuilder estimated that hiring mistakes cost organizations between $25,000 and $50,000 each. Keeping that 50k in mind will help you approach the hiring process differently. I promise!

Know the Pitfalls

In the same study, CareerBuilder found that in most cases, bad hiring was related to the pressure of filling jobs too quickly and not taking the time to gather sufficient information on the candidate. We all feel the pressure when we are short handed so it’s easy to understand the trap. Secondly, the pressure may translate to rose-colored lenses in the interview process. If you are too optimistic and hire too quickly, you could be sorry. Take the extra time to vet your candidates.

Good Interviews

The easiest way to vet your candidates is with a good interview. Take the time to interview an applicant thoroughly and don’t be afraid to ask them back for a second or third interview. Avoid off-the-cuff questions where you chat with the applicant because too often this leads to unreliable surface information. Behaviorally based questions are a great tool because past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. Conducting a lengthy and thorough interview is well worth the time.

Having an interview with more than one manager is also a way to measure how well the applicant will interact with different types of people. This may seem overly time-consuming and take away from a manager’s time to be productive, but it will “pay” in the end when the decision to hire is made with as much information with as many employees involved as possible. To this point, let at least one person from your staff meet with the applicant. Get feedback from those employees who have greeted the applicant such as your receptionist.

Do Your Research

Once you have decided that you have met an applicant you would like to hire, take time to do additional research. Below are the recommended techniques.

Order a background check.

Check their LinkedIn profile and their other social media platforms.

Contact their references.

Call their last employers.

Ask people you know about the applicant.

Observe the interaction between the applicant and your team.

The more you know about an applicant the better chances you have of hiring a good fit. If you need assistance with your hiring process, contact HRinDemand, we have assisted hundreds of businesses in the hiring process.

Melissa Marsh, HR Consultant and Founder of HRinDemand, is a proven HR professional with over 18 years experience in the field who works with businesses to streamline and improve human resources processes, policies and procedures.

At Entrepreneurs Assembly, we have a lot of people attend the Roundtables that are at the point of hiring their first employees. We see a great need for resources to connect them with, like yourself, that can help them make that all important step. Not just with the hiring process, but with the entire process from defining the job to managing the employees. Perhaps you could give a short presentation at one of our Roundtables in Reno, Carson, Incline or South Lake. We are also looking for Blog content on our new web page.

We should have a short chat some time to discuss how we can be a referral source for you.